(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for removing a needle from a syringe. In the specification and claims, the syringe is a device by means of which fluids are injected into, or extracted from, the human body.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
To prevent doctors and nurses from being infected with AIDS, hepatitis B, etc. within the hospital, in recent years syringes including the barrel and the needle are discarded after use and used syringes are to be never used again. Therefore, a great number of used syringes are being discarded. To prevent people who handle used syringes outside the hospital from being infected with AIDS, hepatitis B, etc., when used syringes are discarded in the hospital, the needle is removed from the barrel and put into a container designed for containing used needles or the needle is covered with a sheath, removed from the barrel and discarded along with the barrel.
However, it is troublesome to remove the needle from the barrel by hand and put the needle into the container. Furthermore, there is the risk of the fingers, etc. being pricked with the needle in removing the needle from the barrel or putting the needle into the container. Particularly at the time of covering the needle with a sheath, the fingers, etc. are often pricked with the needle. If the fingers, etc. are priced with a used needle, the person may be infected with AIDS, hepatitis B, etc.
In view of the above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-244167 provides an improved needle sheath. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-96763 provides a device for removing a needle from the barrel of a syringe and putting the needle into a container. The device of said Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-96763 comprises a needle container, a needle removing slit provided on the top of said needle container, a needle guide provided on the opposite sides of said needle removing slit, said needle guide being adapted to be inserted between the end surface of the barrel and the hub or head of the needle, said needle guide being tapered from one end of said needle removing slit to the other end thereof. In this device, the needle of a syringe is removed from the barrel thereof by putting the needle into the needle removing slit so that the needle guide is inserted between the end surface of the barrel and the hub or head of the needle, and then inclining said barrel.
However, the prior art has disadvantages as follows:
Said Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-244167 only discloses said needle sheath. Even if the needle is covered with said sheath, it is still necessary to remove the needle from the barrel of the syringe.
The device of said Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-96763 requires actions such as elaborately inserting said needle guide between tile end surface of the barrel and the hub or head of the needle and inclining said barrel of the syringe. Such actions are very troublesome and unsuitable for hospital business which demands haste.